Würm 氷期における日本の植生分布とそれに関連する問題

抄録

According to the recent studies of plant remains, pollen and glacial topography in Japan, it is indicated that the vertical vegetation zone of the main Würm age was about 1, 500m lower than that of the present. This 1, 500m drop of vegetation zone corresponds to about 7° southward shift of horizontal vegetation zone. Therefore, it is likely that polar front and typhoon tracks in the Würm age shifted southward from the present position, and thus intensive rain was less in the Würm age than in the present in Japan. On the other hand, some river terraces built in the Würm age have depositional character in mountains; and these Würm terraces have been entrenched by the postglacial rivers. These characteristics of Japanese river terraces may be explained on the above-mentioned difference of rain intensity between the Würm glacial and post glacial ages.